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Theophrastus · Fragments §57c.1

The Particular and the Partial in Contrast with the Universal

Passage 50 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus defines the "particular" as "determinate" and the "partial" as "indeterminate," clarifying their relationships in contrast with the universal.

§57c.1Fr. 57c Διόπερ ὀρθῶς ὁ Θ. τὴν μὲν καθʼ ἕκαστα ὡρισμένην καλεῖ, τὴν δὲ μερικὴν ἀδιόριστον· καὶ ἀντιδιαιρεῖται πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἁπλῶς καθόλου ἡ καθʼ ἕκαστα, πρὸς δὲ τὴν καθόλου ὡς καθόλου ἡ μερική.
Therefore indeed, Theophrastus correctly calls the particular "determinate" and the partial "indeterminate"; and the particular is contrasted with the simply universal, while the partial is contrasted with the universal as universal.

Notes

  1. Fr. 57cτὴν μὲν καθʼ ἕκαστα ὡρισμένην καλεῖ — A double accusative construction (καλεῖν A B: "to call A B"), where τὴν καθʼ ἕκαστα (the particular) is the object, and ὡρισμένην (determinate) is the object complement. In the subsequent clause τὴν δὲ μερικὴν ἀδιόριστον, the verb καλεῖ is omitted.
  2. Fr. 57cἀντιδιαιρεῖται — A passive verb used with πρὸς to mean "is contrasted/distinguished against." The subject of the first clause is ἡ καθʼ ἕκαστα, while in the subsequent δὲ-clause, the verb ἀντιδιαιρεῖται is omitted, and the subject is ἡ μερική.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §57c.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:57c.1

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